


t(i)nder love

by mirkwood131



Series: EXO Central [39]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Dates, Byun Baekhyun & Do Kyungsoo | D.O Friendship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-25 14:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16199291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirkwood131/pseuds/mirkwood131
Summary: Baekhyun loves Tinder. He can't write a date worthy message to save his life, but he still tries out of fear that he'll die alone.Favorite activity: finding a boyfriend.Does he actually get one: not really, until one week after a surprising turn of events, when he finds himself caught between 3 guys, one better than the last one.Who will he choose?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hope you'll enjoy:)  
> not sure why the lines are so close together, but i'll try to fix it for next time

2 days ago, Baekhyun wasn't screwed or waiting in front of a restaurant for his date.   
Because 2 days ago, at about this hour, he didn't have this idea. Terrible one too.  
He would like to blame Kyungsoo for all of this, because he was the one to point it out to him. To also bring too many bottles of beer that ended up scattered across his floor, their floor.   
  
Outside is cold. Strangely so, as it's not even October and Baekhyun had to pull out his winter jacket. He hates it. Makes him look like a penguin barely walking on its remaining 15 centimeters of feet. The coat reaches past his knees.  
When he bought it, it truly felt like a decent idea. Like anything that he has ever bought, in all fairness. The Porsche he had to resell; his Rolex that he wore for 24 hours; a virtual reality set that fell from the 7th floor.   
But what is the worst is that he has to wait for the person he hates most in the jacket he hates most. Now, there's the problem.  
That someone is not coming either.   
Baekhyun glances at the watch once again. Not a Rolex anymore. 5:15 PM. He sighs, looks to his left and then right. Shakes his head and checks the pockets for some left over cash.   
Nothing.  
And the man is nowhere to be seen.  
Some people are beginning to offer him long glances. He looks down instead. Someone steps on his foot. Another one asks for cash. That's why you don't stand in the same spot for more than 20 minutes.  
Then, he sees him. Or thinks he does.  
No.  
It wasn't him.  
Baekhyun sighs once again and makes a 360 degree turn on his heels. He almost trips over but regains balance when someone grabs him by the elbow and holds him like that until Baekhyun starts to feel uncomfortable.  
"Thanks." he whispers.  
"No problem. I've seen you walking around this place for a while. Waiting for someone?" the stranger asks.  
Baekhyun knows that he should say 'yes', because his date is supposed to come by any minute. Any minute for the past 22 minutes.  
"No." he shakes his head. "Uhm...the person bailed on me."  
"Oh." the stranger smiles and covers his mouth with one hand. "Mine bailed on me too."  
"I'm sorry." Baekhyun says.  
"It's fine. Stuff happens. Maybe she saw me from a distance and thought that I look worse than in the picture."  
"So a date...huh?"  
Then, he suddenly sees his own. Walking slowly with that obnoxious smirk on his obnoxiously perfect face. It seems like he hasn't even aged one day.   
"Baekhyun. Kiddo."   
"Heeeeey..." he drags out the words.  
His date, Kris Wu, gives him another smile and then glances at the man next to him. Baekhyun does that too.   
"Uhm...I think I should get going." the stranger says, pacing from one foot to the other.  
"Okay. Alright but I..."   
But he is already walking away, leaving Baekhyun alone like a penguin in front of a polar bear.  
"Do you want to go inside? It's warm..." Kris says, still looking after the stranger.  
"Alright. Sounds fine to me."   
The restaurant is like one failed soufflé. Baekhyun sits at the first table he sees and sighs. The menus stare right at him with their cracking silver writing.   
"So...how have you been lately?"  
"Fine. Great. Fantastic." Baekhyun blubbers. "You?"  
"Same. Now I'm the CEO of a multinational company with the headquarters here, in New York." he says, the same smirk forming at the corners of his lips.  
"Oh...congratulations, that is..."  
Baekhyun has a lot of words in his vocabulary for this. Such as "why the actual fuck have I bothered to message him and see my pride being squished like a bug right before my eyes?"   
"Fantastic."  
"Thank you. And what are you doing?"  
"Uhm..."  
Baekhyun ponders. He could tell the truth. Or he could lie.  
The waiter stops at their table, staring with boredom and something Baekhyun doesn't particularly like, right at him. Has he chosen Baekhyun like the weakest target for his money squeezing tricks?   
"A sparkling water and...and some Carbonara Pasta. Please." he says.  
"I'll have the same." Kris says. "So...you haven't told me."   
"Oh...I'm...I'm the PA for the CEO at...at..."  
The problem is that he doesn't know that many companies or magazines or names of rich people that own companies.  
"I'm the PA for Park Chanyeol."   
He has heard that name this morning on the radio. It had to do something with a record label.   
"Oh. I see. So you are into music now?" Kris asks.  
"I've always been into music." Baekhyun says.  
His water comes, bubbling like his heart rate. The glass has a concerning smudge on its rim but Kris's doesn't.  
Suddenly, he's thirsty.  
"You've always been extremely artistic."  
Baekhyun wants to punch himself in the face. End it. Even a police station sounds better.  
"Yes...uhm so..."  
"Sehun told me you've had a crush on me all high-school." Kris says.  
He laughs and Baekhyun just stares at the smudge.  
Damn you, Kyungsoo!  
"Don't be shy. Now we are on a date. Consider your wish granted." Kris says.  
He looks at Baekhyun from behind his glasses that have slipped past the bridge of his nose. His index pushes them up and lingers there like a question; his eyebrows are raised and lips bitten at the corner.  
"How lucky of me." Baekhyun mumbles.  
"Of course. You are having a date with a CEO. How many can be this lucky?"   
"Right."   
Maybe the moment he stepped out of the bus and for the first 5 minutes of waiting, he didn't entirely regret his decision; he was excited, even. But now, now it is an entirely different situation.  
"So..." Kris says. "Where have you travelled?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"What countries have you travelled to?"  
Oh.  
Baekhyun has 2 choices once again. To lie or say the truth. He hasn't travelled. If going to the supermarket or his parents' house counts, yes, he travelled a lot.  
"Yes." he says.  
Baekhyun is even thirstier. But that smudge.  
"Cool. Where? I went to Vietnam, Bangkok-what a funny name, right? And France and England and..."  
And the list is never ending. The waiter comes with the food, places it on the table and leaves. Kris is yet to be done.  
"How did you have time for all of this?" Baekhyun asks.  
The other shrugs, smirking. He hates that smile. He would really spill an entire canister of iced water on him if he could.   
"Some people just can afford it, you know?"  
"Yeah...of course." Baekhyun says.  
He checks his phone.  
No new messages, no phone calls, no excuses to run away from the restaurant and never show his face to the world. Ever again.  
"I'm sorry. I have to take this. It's from my boss." he says and stands up.  
Kris just nods and Baekhyun places the phone at his ear.  
"Hello. Yes, sir. Of course. Yes, yes. It will be done right now. Of course."   
He sighs and turns around.  
"I got to go."  
"Why? We were just beginning to warm up."  
"My boss. He's very...strict." Baekhyun shrugs.   
"What about tomorrow? 1 PM. Lunch break." Kris says.  
The smirk is gone. But why?  
"Fine. But only an hour. And you choose the place." Baekhyun says.  
He picks his coat with shaky fingers because he has lied quite a lot for only 15 minutes. Unfortunately, the jacket stops him from running or walking faster than 2 snails per hour.  
Eventually, he is back outside. It has started snowing. And it's only the beginning of October!  
Baekhyun steps on the sidewalk, blending with all the people that look like a mottled heap growing larger and larger until it swallows the street. There are some talking on the phone and a boy screaming and crying because of a fallen sandwich with all the ketchup spilled at his feet like a murder bath.  
Baekhyun feels like shit. He hits a stone and sighs.  
Well, he would like to be anyone's PA. "Personal assistant my ass!" he mumbles.  
"Did the date end so quickly?"   
Baekhyun jumps backwards and hits the stranger before he once again feels those fingers grab his elbow to keep him in place.   
"Sorry." he whispers. "You scared me. That's all."  
"I'm sorry." the man laughs. "Your date...it ended...very quickly."  
"Oh...yeah." Baekhyun says, glancing down at his shoes.  
He kicks another stone and places both hands in the pockets of his jacket. At least it keeps him warm if not in fashion.  
"My boss called me...and then I lied that I needed to go."   
The stranger laughs, brushing his fingers through his black hair. Baekhyun must admit that he is handsome. Tall and quite dashing with that bright smile of his and those extremely big hands.  
"So I see."  
"What about your date?" Baekhyun asks.  
"Uhm...would you want to...if you don't think it's too much or something, grab a bite or coffee? Or just anything. I'm beginning to freeze." he says.  
"Sure."  
They settle for a small café, not too close to the doomed restaurant either, Baekhyun choosing the table furthest from the windows and right in the back. There are never too many precautions that should be taken in such cases.  
"2 hot chocolates please." the other orders. "So...my date." he smiles. "My date catfished me."  
"Did she?"  
"Appears like she's been waiting for me for an entire hour. But she looks nothing like the picture!" he says, suddenly showing him his phone. "See?"  
"Well...in this she looks pretty." Baekhyun shrugs.  
Kris looks handsome in photos too. Then, tête-á-tête, you are met with his Ego and Pride, and then, later, much later, with the man itself.  
"I didn't care much about appearance. But I hate it when people lie to me." the man says.  
Baekhyun gulps down. Seems like he has started the entire day-week-with the wrong foot.  
"I'm Baekhyun. By the way." he says.  
"Chanyeol." the man smiles.  
Then, suddenly, Baekhyun remembers the radio show.   
'And now, as a special guest in our show, we have Mr. Park Chanyeol, head of whatever music label that Baekhyun cannot remember.'  
The voice!  
"Is everything alright?" Chanyeol asks.  
"Yes, yes..." he whispers.  
But that can't be possible! Right? Of course it cannot be. What type of coincidence would that have to be after all?!  
"Uhm...if that's not too much to ask. But what's your family name?" Baekhyun asks.  
"Park."   
"Park." Baekhyun mumbles.  
"Why? Is anything wrong?"  
But it must be just a coincidence. This Park Chanyeol can't be the same with the one at the radio show.   
"No...I think I might just be a little tired."   
Baekhyun rubs over his forehead and sighs again. He looks outside where the snow has entirely covered the windows with a dusting of powdered sugar. The world is blocked out.  
"Strange weather, isn't it?" Chanyeol asks.   
The hot chocolate arrives, without any strange smudges on the rim of the mug, filled to the top with whipped cream and some topping. It smells like artificial cherries.  
"And they said there's global warming. More like a new Ice Age or something." he laughs.  
Baekhyun takes some of the cream with his finger, not bothering to use the spoon. Then, he sees Chanyeol staring at him right when his finger leaves the warmth of his mouth.  
"Sorry. I have no manners." he whispers.  
"It's alright."  
"You've been watching."   
Baekhyun thinks that he should have kept his mouth shut.  
"Yeah...I was." Chanyeol says.  
He coughs, and looks somewhere else.  
"Do you think the roads will be blocked. By the snow?" Chanyeol asks.  
He laughs. "I wish. Then I wouldn't have to go to work."   
"Everyone's dream."   
"Indeed."  
It gets silent afterwards. Baekhyun tries to mix all the whipped cream with the chocolate but only manages to spill most of it on the table.  
"Crap!" he mutters.  
"Here." Chanyeol says and hands him a handful of tissues.  
"I'm such a clumsy fool today." he whispers as the tissues only get soaked as the brown liquid still trickles down. It's quickly threatening to spill over the edge of the table, down on his pants.  
Luckily, they are black.  
"Excuse me! Can you give us some more...napkins?" Chanyeol asks a waiter.  
"I'm so sorry." Baekhyun says.  
He doesn't even dare to look up from his puddle.   
The first drip lands on his leg and he just watches it sink into the fabric. Another one follows it.  
"I shouldn't have left home..."  
"It's alright." Chanyeol says. "See?" he asks. "All gone."  
Indeed. There's no trace of hot chocolate. Only a mountain of tissues guarding one edge of the table.  
"Thank you."  
"Of course." he smiles.  
Baekhyun looks out of the window again. He doesn't even know why. What he sees is only snow, gathering now on the wooden sill.  
"You know what?" Chanyeol asks.  
"What?"   
"Let's go outside. Maybe...we could play in the snow."   
"Oh...sure..." he says.  
After all, everything bad that could happen already did.  
So they get dressed, not before Chanyeol offers to pay for their consumption as Baekhyun's pleads to share it grow quieter and quieter.  
The jacket is back on him as well as his penguin walk.  
"I hate this...thing." Baekhyun says.  
“I think it’s cute.”  
"You think?"  
"Yeah. Very...nerdy."  
Nerdy isn't exactly the term that Baekhyun likes to use for himself. He is far from it as a college drop-out and job repellent. But at least, it is much better than anything else he could come up with.  
"It might be enough snow over...there." Chanyeol points to a patch right near some trees where it used to be grass but now only a layer of snow.  
They walk there and Baekhyun wishes he wouldn't fall. He also wishes that Kris wouldn't be anywhere nearby. Just in his fancy car on his way to his fancy house and fancy life.  
He falls. The ground is still hard and now damp; his knees get soaked and aching as his hands turn red.  
"Let me help you."  
Chanyeol pulls him up, or tries to, because Baekhyun falls down one more time, dragging the other with him.  
"I'm so sorry." he says.  
The radio show comes back to his mind. He doesn't want to have on his conscience or bill the health of a richer person than him.  
A snowball hits him in the shoulder.  
"What was that-" he says but then, he is splashed by a handful of snow.  
Some of it gets on his skin, melting and going down on his chest.  
"This is war!!"   
Baekhyun takes some too but not quickly enough. Chanyeol grabs both of his hands, pushing him down.  
"Gotcha!"  
But Baekhyun kicks him in the shins. Once, twice, until the grip grows loser. Chanyeol winces when a fistful of snow lands on his face and neck.  
"I capitulate. White flag. I call retreat!!" he yells. "I capitulate."  
"I knew it. I'm the king over the grass patch." Baekhyun says as he tries to stand up.  
But the jacket is too long, going past his knees; he falls back down, leaning on his arms. "Some help? For your king?"  
"Yes, your Majesty." Chanyeol says and bows down.  
This time, he manages to go back up, to his feet.  
"That was fun." Baekhyun says.  
"Yeah...it was." Chanyeol whispers.  
It's quiet again.   
Baekhyun isn't sure of anything right now. Not sure of what to actually understand and how much he should fantasize. How much is it too much?  
"I..." Chanyeol says.  
The smile is still on his face, glinting in his eyes. He looks down and then straight at Baekhyun.  
"I got to go now but give me your number."   
Baekhyun deflates like a popped balloon.  
But the number and his name are glowing bright from the phone screen as he types them. He wants to press send, but then changes his mind.  
Would a heart be too much? He chews on his lip and ponders. Is he really this brave?  
Baekhyun just saves it.  
Baekhyun B. [emoji with sunglasses]  
"Alright then." Chanyeol says. "Never seen you like a glasses type of guy."  
"But like what?"  
Chanyeol shrugs. "See you."  
He leaves just as he came. Unnoticed.   
Baekhyun looks around his grass patch, at the imprints of their bodies on the snow. He's glad that today there's no work.  
  
Kyungsoo yawns and closes his laptop. Baekhyun looks up at him and yawns too, just in sync for Kyungsoo's second one.  
"So. How was it? You've been extremely quiet." he asks.  
Baekhyun feels watched. Analysed. All in silence and with a rather neutral expression even though they both know the thoughts are far from it.  
Kyungsoo is his best friend. Or used to be, after their or Kyungsoo's latest assessment, when he has decided that Baekhyun is a rather shitty excuse of a friend.  
He would beg to differ but in the end, he hates arguments, so Baekhyun had to agree. So now they are just friends and flatmates.  
Sharing a 25 square meter apartment, which doesn't offer that much space to be alone.  
Or alone with someone other than your roommate.  
"So." Kyungsoo says.  
He places the laptop on the small glass table and puts his glasses on. Kyungsoo is a cook at a nice restaurant. Baekhyun likes to eat for free there; that only happens on days when Kyungsoo is in a good mood.  
"It was fine." Baekhyun says.  
"Just fine? You were orgasming 4 years ago just when you called his name."   
"4 years ago."   
Kyungsoo sighs.  
He stands up and walks over to the kitchen that is actually part of their shared bedroom. They don't really cook at home.  
"In more detail. You've been out for 3 hours. Something you must have talked about." Kyungsoo says.  
He takes a yellow mug from a shelf and frowns.  
"Did you wash this?"  
"Yes. Maybe. Why?"  
"Because it's filthy?" Kyungsoo says.   
"He's rich."   
"Good. You like rich people." he says.  
"And a prick and stop acting like the Inquisition."  
Baekhyun has an itch. That itch is called Park Chanyeol. He scratched it but it kept getting worse and worse until it became a rash spreading all across his body. Now he cannot get rid of it.  
He searched his name online. The face matches the name. Then, he looked over his net worth. That seemed quite positive too. Then his Tinder profile. It all added up until Baekhyun wanted to smash something and so he turned off his phone and sat in silence on the couch until Kyungsoo came home.  
"I think you should ask your father for a raise." Kyungsoo says.  
"Ask him for me."   
"Don't be dumb. One grand is too little for what you do."   
"What? Twenty first century slavery? Plus. He's not my father. Just...step-asshole who fucks my mother sometimes." Baekhyun says.  
"Classy."   
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and pours hot water over the tea bag. Baekhyun must admit. He has good taste in tea. This one smells like cinnamon and cardamom; just like a Christmas night, cuddling in a mansion with a rich dude named Park Chanyeol.  
"Make me one too."  
"The kitchen is 2 steps away from you. 2. I counted them." Kyungsoo says.  
"Bet you did."   
"Ask for that raise."  
"He'll fire me."  
"Ask."  
"No."  
"Don't be a wimp."  
"Maybe I want to be a wimp!" Baekhyun says and stands up.  
Out of the sudden, all his blood rushes to his cheeks.  
"I like being a wimp. It's safe."  
"Of course." Kyungsoo sighs.   
He sits back down and with that, his thoughts return to Chanyeol; and his perfect hands and smile and that soft looking navy sweater that he's certain he'll find on a model in the most recent fashion week show.   
"What would you do...if you met someone rich?" Baekhyun asks, glancing at Kyungsoo who stares at his tea.   
"How rich?"  
"Very. Rich...rich that he could buy New York." Baekhyun says.  
"I don't know...what do you mean...meet? And what's with this?"   
Baekhyun shrugs and says: "Just curious."  
"Depends. Is it a woman or man?"  
"Man."  
"I'm not gay like you."  
"It's called being bisexual. I hoped you'd know the difference after 20 years." Baekhyun says.  
"You came out when you were 18...alright?" Kyungsoo scoffs. "Do you still want some tea?"  
"Changed my mind. Some hot choco."  
"I'll kick your ass." Kyungsoo says.  
Baekhyun decides that they are still best friends. If that's not how true besties act, he doesn't know otherwise how. Then, Kris pops into his mind. Like a big, bleeding sore.  
"Tomorrow I'm having lunch with Kris."  
"Great!" Kyungsoo says. "Hot choco, you moron."  
"Thankies."  
"That's perfect. But please don't fuck on our couch."   
"I've never done that." Baekhyun mumbles.  
Yes, he did. A week after they first moved into the apartment, on the only day when Kyungsoo decided that he should take a night shift; back then he wasn't working at a nice restaurant but at a fast food. Baekhyun is pretty certain that he cleaned everything quite well as there was no actual stain on the actual sofa. Just on his belly.  
"Lie to aunt Mary about it." Kyungsoo says. "So. If you bring him, use the bed."   
"I won't." Baekhyun says.  
"And am I supposed to believe you? After 4 years of co-"  
"Just shut up!" Baekhyun says and throws a pillow at his face.  
It misses the tea mug by 5 millimetres.  
"You moron!"  
"Nothing happened." Baekhyun says.  
"I swear I'll kill you in your sleep if you keep being like this."  
  
Baekhyun's job is fine.   
He wakes up at 7 AM every day and in 15 minutes he has to be out the door so that in other 45 minutes he can walk to his work place. Of course there are buses, but he has never bothered to buy tickets or a subscription. And some time last year he has been caught so the decision taken was that he would walk on foot.  
Today, he is running late.  
The snow layer is thicker than yesterday and the same jacket forbids him for walking faster than two snails an hour. Baekhyun could run. Yes, he could, but he can't.  
So he walks and curses 10 times per minute instead.   
"Get in!"  
Baekhyun falters.  
There's a car stopped right next to him, black and long and expensive looking, but other than that, he can't see a thing because of the tinted windows.  
"It's me. Chanyeol."   
Oh.  
The window roll down and it's really the same Park Chanyeol from yesterday.   
"Come on." he laughs and Baekhyun finally gets in.  
"Good morning!"   
"'Morning!" Baekhyun says.   
"You are in quite a hurry."  
"Oh. Fuck." he mumbles, glancing at his watch.  
"Tell me where you need to be." Chanyeol says.  
Baekhyun then notices that the other is looking right at him. Right at his lips that he keeps biting.  
"Uhm...Skyrise Ent. It's...it's impossible to miss." he says.  
"I think I've been there before." Chanyeol says after some time. "Big glass building?"  
"Exactly."   
"Cool." Chanyeol says; he starts tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, humming to some sort of tune.  
"Cool." Baekhyun whispers.  
So it really is that Chanyeol. He is even afraid to touch his seat or the door; the car smells sweet, like an apple pie mixed with a man's cologne. Baekhyun likes it.  
Now that he thinks about, that's how Chanyeol smelled the other day. Not that he has been sniffing him or anything.  
"So...where are you working?" Baekhyun asks.  
Innocent enough question.  
"Uhm...at my parents' firm."   
"Oh. Me too. I mean-at my step-father's. I'm...the IT guy."   
Chanyeol laughs and glances at him.  
"That's hot."  
"Why?" Baekhyun asks, barely hiding a grin.  
"Smart and cute. The whole package."  
First nerdy. Now cute and smart. Baekhyun really isn't sure what to think.   
"Is this the place?"  
"Yup." he says.  
7:56 AM.  
"And I'm on time too."  
"I'll see you around then?"   
"Sure. Right where you found me." Baekhyun says.  
"Alright." Chanyeol smiles.  
And once again, Baekhyun's itch wants to be scratched.   
But Baekhyun is almost late so he leaves. Waves a couple more times even though he can't see Chanyeol anymore. His phone buzzes. His heart booms.  
_**TINDER**_ ** _  
Congratulations! You have a new match._**  
Baekhyun sighs.  
He clicks on it anyways.  
_**KAI. 37. Dancer.**_ ** _  
_** The profile picture is promising too. He then remembers that time is ticking and not really waiting for him. So he goes up the stairs, huffing and panting, then on another flight of them that descend to the abyss of the building, down to a narrow hallway that leads to a white door at the end.  
His door.  
Baekhyun opens it.  
Everything is as he left it. Messy.  
Only the computer screen stares at him, adorned with some bright post it notes that almost fall down. "Have a good day at work." he says.  
"Thank you."  
"You're welcome."  
He sits down and looks around. The office looks more like a dungeon than anything else. Even the chair creaks when Baekhyun moves around-which he does, quite a lot.  
The door opens.  
"I see you are on time."  
"Yes...dad." Baekhyun says.  
If the Devil had a name other than the Devil, it would be his father's name. And not because they look alike or even act remotely the same, but because since the bright age of 10, Baekhyun couldn't shake his positively uncomfortable feeling whenever he'd be in the man's presence.  
So, the Devil remained.  
"You should think seriously about buying a car."   
Baekhyun rolls his eyes and the chair creaks again.  
"With what money?" he asks.  
"I could give you a loan. A small interest rate and a good time period to have it paid back." he says.  
"No, thank you." Baekhyun says.  
It's not like he doesn't want a car of his own. Of course he does. But not when you actually make a deal with the Devil himself.  
"Baekhyun."  
"I'm fine. Go to your important work and leave me alone."   
"I'll talk to your mom about it."   
"Go ahead."  
Yes, Baekhyun might be unfair. The Devil has never done anything bad to him. But nonetheless, he still has the same feelings that cannot be shaken off.  
So the Devil remains the Devil.  
His work day is boring.   
Get there at 8 AM, sit at the computer until 5 PM, unless someone calls him to fix something that they could have done themselves.  
Then, there's the mail and deliveries and other underpaid slave duties like cleaning the hallway in the dungeon area and buy food for the lazy ass suit idiots.  
And afterwards, he gets home to his crowded apartment.  
Baekhyun sighs again. He doesn't even have a window.  
When 12:45 AM appears on his monitor in big bold numbers, Baekhyun hits his knee at the desk. The lunch break with Kris!  
And not even one message from Chanyeol.  
He stands up and grabs his jacket. The room is so quiet, far too quiet, like his insides. There's no feeling in his chest, nothing, good or bad.   
So he now goes up the stairs, doesn't hurry, even walks slower than usual so he wouldn't have to wait for Kris. Or the worst. Not even have him come after all. That would be a total defeat in itself.  
"Byun. Come to my office after lunch." Jongdae, from Human Resources, says.  
Luckily, they're what he would like to call: work friends.  
"Sure."  
And he doesn't have many of them. Just a couple.  
Outside it is still snowing, lightly, as the air seems too warm for it not to melt. Kris is nowhere.  
12:56.  
4 more minutes.  
He hits the ground with his foot, hoping in all honesty, for a miracle.  
1:03.  
Baekhyun is fuming. He opens Tinder instead and returns to that KAI's dude profile.   
_**BB92 is typing…**_ ** _  
hi!  
i love dancing too.  
_** He deletes it as it seems too childish. Baekhyun has never been good at writing flirtatious messages-not the subtle, charged with sexual connotations ones anyways.  
_**BB92**_ ** _  
hi!  
i'd love to see you dance:)  
_** This sounds better, right? Hopefully, because there is no coming back.  
_**KAI is typing...**_ ** _  
KAI  
hi  
sure  
i'm @ the studio evday if u want to take a l9ok   
send u th3 address in a sec  
_** Baekhyun squeals inside.  
_**BB92**_ ** _  
great!_**  
"Baekhyun!"  
"Kris." Baekhyun whispers, almost dropping the phone on the ground. It buzzes in his hand but he doesn't check it in a brave act of restraint.  
Kris is staring at him which in theory should be something romantic but in action is borderline creepy.   
"I've made a reservation for a nice place." Kris says.  
There's the same smug smile on his tanned skin, suspiciously so since the sun hasn't shown its face for quite a while.  
"Okay. Alright." he says.  
Baekhyun isn't sure why he has crushed so hard on Kris before. Yes, he was popular and what he would have liked to call cool and ballsy, but now, as they walk in utter silence and hands in the pockets, he realizes the guy doesn't have much personality. Or it could be that they don't have much in common. Either way, he finds him, his crush, anything: pathetic.  
"So..." Kris says. "What have you been up to?"   
Baekhyun shrugs.  
"Not much. I slept and ate and...you know...came to work."  
"So there you work." Kris says.  
"Yeah...there."  
"Oh. Cool."   
"Yeah. Cool."   
Baekhyun realizes he prefers the silence. It's far better than the repetitions of words in each half a phrase.  
"That's the place." Kris says.  
The restaurant looks decent. They get inside and sit at an also decent table near a window that shows him in full view a homeless person picking his nose.  
He looks the other way where a child is making faces at him.  
1:12.   
"Uhm...what do you want to order? It's on me." Kris says.  
"Uhm..."  
Baekhyun goes through the menu, his brain unable to understand most of the things written on it. Not because they are in a different language. No. But because his phone has buzzed once again and Baekhyun is itching to read what KAI has sent him.  
"I'll get what you get." he says.  
"Alright." Kris smiles.  
Baekhyun unlocks his phone under the table and grins.  
_**KAI**_ ** _  
dance 57, at the intersec of 13 with 45 str.  
see u   
_** "Something happened?" Kris asks.  
"Nonono." Baekhyun mumbles.  
The phone falls on the floor and for a second, his heart stops. Everyone in the restaurant is staring at him. Especially Kris, who suddenly bends down and picks it up.  
Great!  
"Who's...KAI?" he asks.  
"A friend." Baekhyun says. "Now give me the phone."  
He grabs it, too forcefully, but it doesn't matter.  
"And this friend...he's a dancer?"  
"Yeah. Exactly. Professional. Has...teaching glasses. I mean: classes." Baekhyun says.  
But why does he worry so much after all? This might not even be a date in the end, and even it were, he isn't that interested in Kris and Kris shouldn't care about who he's talking to, right? Right.  
So Baekhyun breathes out.  
"Do you like fries?" Kris asks.  
"Fries...yeah, who doesn't like them, right?" he laughs.  
"So I'll get us fries and spicy chicken wings?"  
"Sure." Baekhyun says.  
He really wonders now whether or not KAI looks exactly like in the picture. That would be heaven come true. A tanned, 6 pack torso and defined arms with muscles that pop from the sleeve of the t-shirt; whipped cream all over his ni-  
"Who did you say you work for?" Kris asks.  
Baekhyun coughs.  
"My dad. Step-dad."  
"I see. Next week I'm going to Mexico."   
"Really? How nice. Why?" Baekhyun asks.  
"Holiday. This city is so...stuffy and dirty. Sometimes...I just can't stand New York's people and streets." Kris says, pushing once again his golden framed glasses up his nose.  
"In what neighbourhood do you live then? SoHo?"  
Kris smirks and says: "Yes."  
"Oh."  
Baekhyun wouldn't be the one to call SoHo dirty and stuffy, but what does he know? His apartment only has 25 square meters.  
"That must cost you a fortune. Living in SoHo, I mean."   
"Well...when you earn as much as I do...it's insignificant." Kris says.  
The fries and chicken wings arrive and Baekhyun is seriously thinking about throwing them exactly on Kris's hair and maybe shirt.  
He doesn't; but the thought is tempting.  
"Are you busy tonight?"   
"Huh?"  
"Busy. Tonight. We could-" and Kris licks his lips in a way that is supposed to make Baekhyun feel something more than self-pity-"Netflix and chill."  
Who uses that anymore?!  
Baekhyun smiles; a tight one that threatens to crack and bleed at the corners of his mouth that slowly go down until the trajectory of his lips is certain: downward sloping curve.  
"We could only do the Netflix part but I live with another person and we practically share the bedroom because there isn't enough space so technically it would be very awkward having someone watch us in terror. Of course, maybe you have some voyeuristic fetish-which I don't." Baekhyun says. "So..."  
He takes one fry and shoves it into his mouth. It's followed by another one and another one until he can barely chew.  
"I...didn't know. Then we could just watch a movie. I have a good one." Kris winks.  
Baekhyun's phone buzzes once again.  
"What?"  
"Inception. Have you watched it?"  
"No."  
He has. Multiple times, obliged by Kyungsoo who seemingly has a thing for watching movies he likes for more than 5 times. With Inception he has reached 10.  
"Fantastic! At 8 is fine?"  
"Yeah...sure." Baekhyun whispers.  
What has he gotten into?  
After another 30 minutes of "uhm's and oh's and cool's", Baekhyun is back in his dungeon.  
It's already past 2 PM and his stomach hurts as well as his head. He checks his phone again. No message. No anything.  
  
When he opens the door, the smell of warm, just made food hits his nostrils, goes above the mouth's palate, down the trachea and into his lungs. Smoking hot pasta.  
"I'm home!!" he yells even though he knows that Kyungsoo is well aware of that.  
"Don't need to yell."   
"We have a guest tonight."   
"Who? Kris?"  
Baekhyun keeps silent and stops right behind Kyungsoo.  
"Who still says Netflix and Chill? Who?"  
"Did he say that?"   
Kyungsoo laughs and turns around.  
At some point during their 20 years of friendship, it was bound that Baekhyun would fantasize about Kyungsoo. Living with him for 6 has particularly helped with that. But now he has come to the conclusion that no matter how tempting it all would be, Kyungsoo is straight and rather asexual. So even though Baekhyun has had more than indecent thoughts about him, Kyungsoo hasn't.  
And that's where the love story ends.  
"Smells great."  
"Thanks." Kyungsoo smiles and his cheeks turn a little pinker.  
Baekhyun likes it how his friend instantly transforms after a well said and placed compliment.  
"So...will you mind having Mr. Kris, the pussy breaker, into our humble home?"  
"God!"   
"Sorry. No pussy then." Baekhyun laughs. "In this house we only like cock."  
"I like none." Kyungsoo says.  
"I know, I know. But it relieves stress and other shit."   
"Like cum on my couch?" Kyungsoo asks, raising an eyebrow.  
"Just give me some food already. I'm starving." Baekhyun grumbles.  
He sits at the table, watching Kyungsoo put the pasta onto the plates and then place the pan and pot into the sink. It smells like tomato sauce and spices and home.  
"Bon-appetit." Kyungsoo says.   
"Same."  
"So..." he whispers. "Lately..."   
Kyungsoo glances into his plate and then at Baekhyun who has his mouth already stuffed.  
"Huh?"  
"Lately...I've been feeling off."  
"Like me." Baekhyun says. "The Devil has offered to give me a loan! Me! A loan, can you imagine?!"  
"Yes...I do." Kyungsoo sighs.  
He twists his fork between the pasta and let's it down on the table.   
"And I've got a match on Tinder with the hottest dude you'll ever see." Baekhyun says. "Will you eat that?"  
"No..." Kyungsoo whispers again.  
"What's up with you though? You are quieter than usual."   
"I'm fine." Kyungsoo says.  
"Well..." Baekhyun frowns. "You haven't eaten anything."  
"And..."  
"And...you should eat. It's not healthy. So what's bugging you?" Baekhyun asks, placing his head on both hands.  
"Well...I was trying to tell you but you started talking all about you-of course, so what's the point?!"  
"What do you mean 'what's the point?'" You are my best friend. Of course I wa-"  
"No-you just need a servant, someone to listen to your complaining at any hour. That's it. You don't need...a friend." Kyungsoo says and stands up.  
Baekhyun's mouth is wide open.  
"Kyun..." he whispers.  
Unfortunately, when you share a bedroom with a person and get into a fight with the same one, you can't just shut a door close and not see the other's face for as long as you want.  
So Kyungsoo sits down on the couch and covers his entire head and upper body with a blanket. The closest thing to a closed door.  
"Kyungsoo..." Baekhyun says.  
He sits down next to him and waits. Truth be told, he isn't sure what to say. The last time they argued, the reason was on the same line with this one.  
"I...am an asshole." he says.  
That's the only thing that came to his mind. With Kyungsoo, he thinks, the best tactic is to say as many bad things about himself and then have Kyungsoo jump to his defence. That's exactly how it's been so far.  
"I am such a horrible human being. I know that I make you suffer and that I don't deserve yo-"  
"Tell that bullshit to someone else." Kyungsoo says.  
Well, that was rather unexpected.  
"Kyun-"  
"Until you truly realize what a bullshiter you are-don't talk to me."   
The doorbell rings.  
7:45.  
Baekhyun huffs and stands up. Right now, the last thing he wants to see is Kris and his smug face.  
"Yeah."   
"Uhm...flowers..."  
Right before his eyes there is the biggest bouquet of roses he has seen in his entire life. Twice the size of his head, with a huge white one in the middle.  
"For you." Kris says.  
"Oh...you didn't have to..." Baekhyun mumbles, looking back at the heap of blankets that Kyungsoo has turned himself into.  
"I should put them in a vase...so beautiful." Baekhyun says, bringing them to his nose.  
They smell like alcohol and something else that resembles dog piss.  
"They cost me a fortune." Kris laughs, pacing around. "You didn't lie when you said your apartment is small."  
"Why would I lie?" Baekhyun asks.  
He would ask Kyungsoo for a vase but it seems like they are once again on the not talking territory, so he doesn't. In consequence, he has no vase.  
What a shame.  
"So...that's your TV." Kris says.  
"Yeah..."   
"Uhm...where's the remote and-"  
"I don't have Netflix." Baekhyun says.  
"Then how are we going to watch-"  
"Have you heard of illegal downloading? Streaming?" Baekhyun asks, sitting down, leaving Kris next to the tower of blankets.   
"Yes but-"  
"Then sit down and let me do the job."  
His laptop is 6 years old, so it has an impressive speed and download power. He would use Kyungsoo's, but he thinks that would cross another argument barrier.  
Kris shifts closer to him. Baekhyun gets closer to the edge of the couch. Once again, he feels him being too close and the floor too near for his comfort.  
"Here!" he beams. "30 more minutes and we can see the movie."  
"Let me check. Maybe I can access my account and-"  
"It's fine...you are my guest." Baekhyun says.  
Kris laughs, placing an arm over his shoulders. It should feel nice, he knows that. All throughout high school he has dreamt of this, of the moment when the mighty Kris Wu would pay attention to him.  
And it came but it is so anti climatic that Baekhyun feels sick to his stomach. He feels uncomfortable. His hands are clammy-in the worst way-he's sweating-in a stinky way.  
He glances at Kris and then he realizes it. The face is inching closer to his.  
"Uhm..." he whispers.  
"Shhh..." Kris says, placing a finger over his lips.  
It trails down over his bottom lip and Baekhyun shivers.  
"I'm not sure why I've never seen it."  
"What...to see?"  
"That you are actually pretty. And not just a weird kid."   
"Oh..." Baekhyun says. "Pretty."  
He hates the word. Makes him feel like a dog or anything with fur and big ears.  
"Yes."   
Their lips are centimetres apart. Kyungsoo is still under a tower of blankets, next to them. The movie doesn't want to be downloaded.  
Kris kisses him. Or almost, because Baekhyun pushes himself sideways until he falls down on the floor, making Kyungsoo throw his covers aside and Kris yell in panic when he looks back at the sudden human apparition.  
"Kris, Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo, Kris." Baekhyun says.  
"Why haven't you told me?!" Kris asks.  
"Because..." Baekhyun shrugs.  
"That's-" he points towards Kyungsoo who is slowly turning red.  
"You know what?!" he shouts. "This is my apartment too. I pay rent for it so please get out of it because I would really need some more personal space." Kyungsoo continues on a much calmer tone. "So...please get out."  
Baekhyun feels like laughing. Hard. It's right there, caught at the pit of his stomach, waiting to burst out.  
Kris is quiet. Unusually so, looking from one to another.  
"Are you two dating?"  
"No!" Kyungsoo yells. "Now get out before-before-"  
"Just leave for fuck's sake! Leave!!" Baekhyun says instead.  
He feels relieved when the door closes after Kris. And maybe slightly terrible too, but that comes much later.  
"We make a good team." he says.  
"I'm still mad at you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took me quite a while to get the motivation to finish this chapter

His phone buzzes. Baekhyun turns on the other side, placing a pillow over his head. But it doesn't stop.

"Answer it!" Kyungsoo yells.

"I will."

Baekhyun knows Kyungsoo is mad. In any other day, he would simply just ignore it, probably even sneak into his bed having as an explanation "the mattress is softer".

But today, today is different.

**_DEVIL incoming call_ **

Baekhyun sighs and throws the blanket away.

"Yes?! I'm on my way but the traffic is terrible. Go to my mum's and pick...your dirty clothes...Yes. I will."

He places the phone on the night stand, or think he does. It misses by a few millimeters and falls down.

**_6:38 AM_ **

Baekhyun hates his life.

"Who was it?" Kyungsoo asks.

"The Devil." Baekhyun sighs. "What do we eat today?"

"I'm still mad. So...cook for yourself."

He forgot. Again.

Getting dressed takes Baekhyun 5 minutes plus washing his teeth and doing something with his hair that it's slowly going to cover his entire forehead. Then he's practically out of the door but then there's the possibility that he forgot something so it takes him 3 more minutes to go back and check and then curse a little because he just wasted 180 precious seconds.

This time, he is down in 5 minutes. He's walking as quickly as he can even though the jacket doesn't allow it. It rips, at the seams but he doesn’t hear it.

Then a honk.

He startles.

"'Morning!"

The window gets down and he sees Chanyeol, smiling at him.

"You said in the same place but it seems like you are walking way ahead." he laughs.

"Oh..." Baekhyun whispers.

He has totally forgotten about him.

"I don't want to annoy you or-"

"Come on. It's alright. Wherever you need to go. That's what friends do, right?"

Friends. Right.

"Thanks but really...you can't be my personal taxi."

Baekhyun isn't usually like this. But this morning, after his fight with Kyungsoo and the entire Kris fiasco, he doesn't really feel like his usual self.

"Yes, I can. So get in cause you'll be late again." Chanyeol says.

"Fiiine." he says but grins.

Baekhyun loves this car. If he were to buy one, it would be the same. White leather chairs and heating from the seat and everything in between.

"So..." Chanyeol says, glancing at him. "Where are we headed, your Majesty?"

Baekhyun giggles.

"My mom's house."

"Your wish is my command if you are so kind to put the address into the GPS."

"I will." Baekhyun says.

He looks at Chanyeol after a while who doesn't notice him. Yet. But afterwards, their gazes meet and he looks down, at his fingers.

"Sorry, I'm..."

"It's alright."

"When do you start work, anyways?" Baekhyun asks.

"Whenever I want practically, since I work for my father." Chanyeol says.

"Well...I do too but I need to be every day at 8 sharp in my little dungeon."

"Dungeon?" he laughs.

"Office. IT guy basement...office?"

"I like it. The name you gave it to it. It works, your Majesty."

"Are you sarcastic?" Baekhyun asks.

"Why would I be?"

"You call me your Majesty. Isn't that...sarcastic?"

"Not now. You are the King and I'm the...whatever you want me to be." Chanyeol says.

"You are my page then."

"Yes, your Majesty."

They both laugh. Baekhyun smiles, looking at Chanyeol.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived to your destination. Should I wait for you?"

"Yes, you should." Baekhyun says. "I just need to get...my dad's dirty clothes."

"I understand. I will wait right where you left me."

Baekhyun doesn't want to get out of the car. But he does in the end, storming through the house, righ, into the bathroom where monstrous on the tiles is a bag, big as half his body, and weighting just as much.

"Baekkie."

His mom.

Baekhyun sighs and turns around.

"Hello! I'm in a hurry." he says.

The bag is impossible to lift; it slips right between his fingers on his feet.

"You're always in a hurry. Can I help you with that?" she asks, walking closer to him.

"I'm fine."

The clothes all fall down in front of him.

"Fuck."

"I've told you-no swearing in this house. Now let me help you because you are a little fragile dumpling." the woman says while caressing his cheek.

"I'm..." he huffs.

"Yes...you are my adorable son who I don't see that often."

Baekhyun thinks that things would change if she would divorce the Devil and move out of the Hell house. But since that's unlikely to happen, he simply doesn't visit his mother very often. So that’s why, once every 2 months, he becomes the 15 year old he has always ran away from.

In the end, he is not the one carrying the clothes to the car. With her 70 kilograms of skin and bones and fat and rather muscly arms, Baekhyun's mother resembles more a wrestler than a middle aged house wife with a supposedly adult son.

"That was quick." Chanyeol says.

"Was it?"

"You're gloomy."

"Of course."

"Your Majesty, have I done anything to upset you?"

"Now you sound sarcastic." Baekhyun says.

"I'm not."

Chanyeol laughs, looking at him.

"Fine." he shrugs. "Sometimes I get pissy. Out of the blue, just like that."

"I can understand that."

"Not when I yell out of the sudden and then you get mad and-"

"It's fine."

"Is it? I'm not angry just yet." Baekhyun says, winking.

"I'm your page, your Grace. I can take anything."

Baekhyun is the one to laugh this time.

"Quiz time!" he says suddenly.

"Quiz time?!"

Chanyeol laughs.

"Favorite band?" he hums.

"Coldplay. Favorite movie?" Chanyeol asks.

"Hmmm…’Leon the professional’.”

"Favorite...TV show?"

"Lost?"

Chanyeol shakes his head, laughing. He pushes the break, right in front of Baekhyun's work place.

"Favorite sex position?"

"Baek..."

"Come on. I'll say it if you say it."

"Baek..."

"Because your King requests it."

Chanyeol licks his lips and glances outside.

"Missionary? I don't know!" he shouts, raising his arms.

Baekhyun opens the door and steps out, grinning quietly as he keeps thinking about the answer.

"You said you'd tell me."

"Another time. Now help me get the dirty clothes out."

"Not until you tell me." Chanyeol says, grabbing his wrist. "So..."

"You can't make me." Baekhyun whispers.

But Chanyeol pushes him towards the car until his back is stuck to it and there's only a couple of centimeters left between their bodies. He breathes out, glances down, somewhere else.

"I can..." Chanyeol says, touching his neck with the tips of his fingers.

They trail down and then up to his jaw as Baekhyun is breathing out of his mouth, waiting for the moment they would touch his face and then-

"Tell me." Chanyeol says.

The fingers are gone. He feels betrayed.

"None. Now give me the dirty clothes. I got to get them to the dry cleaning."

 

Baekhyun decides that he might have fucked it up. Not that it was something to fuck up as until that point, Chanyeol hasn't shown one sign that he might be interested.

Maybe it was only in his head. He opens the Tinder chat again.

**_BB92 is writing..._ **

**_BB92_ **

**_i am on my way_ **

**_hope i don't get lost._ **

**_KAI is writing..._ **

**_KAI_ **

**_u won't_ **

**_text me if u do and i'll wait in frnt of t. stdo_ **

**_BB92_ **

He slightly hates himself for the excessive use of emojis. But then, his bodily pleasure-and maybe even visual-is in the game. Whatever that might be. The only thing he truly despises is the jacket and the fact that the snow layer is now up to his ankles.

All the kids are outside, screaming and laughing with those ruddy cheeks of theirs, throwing snowballs that sometimes hit Baekhyun.

"Great." he mumbles, shaking his phone.

Google Maps has stopped working. And he was so close.

"Baekhyun?" someone asks.

Baekhyun looks up. Then, he sees him. Just like in the picture, only wearing a black hoodie and some sweats that make his legs look even better.

"Y-yes." he says.

"Jongin. I mean- he grins-Kai."

The smile doesn't match the physique. At all.

"I'm glad to meet you."

"Now leave the formalities. Come inside. I was just warming up." Jongin says.

"Oh..." Baekhyun whispers.

He isn't sure what to expect. Or what to give as an expectation. Hot sex in a dancing studio or just 3 hours of watching someone warm up.

They walk up a flight of stairs and end up in a rather small rectangular room with mirrors and bars on each side, except for the one with the door. Baekhyun has never been fucked looking into a mirror.

He shakes his head, hoping all the thoughts would go away.

"So..." Jongin whispers.

"You're hot."

Jongin laughs, rubbing his neck.

"Thanks...sometimes-this is stupid."

"Nono. Just say it."

"Sometimes I want to put an ugly photo as my profile one...just to...idk..." he shrugs.

"Oh...I get it." Baekhyun says.

"Make people less focused on my appearance, you know?"

"And more on your...soul and everything else?"

"Yeah...sort of." Jongin laughs. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What do you do? Free time, work time, whatever?" Jongin asks.

He sits on the floor, legs wide spread, looking up at Baekhyun with the same soft smile that makes him get sweaty in the worst of ways.

"Oh...you know. I work as a...PA for a CEO and in my free time I really enjoy making songs and singing at the guitar." he says.

Baekhyun hasn't done that since high-school.

"Cool." Jongin smiles.

He really is stretching. Baekhyun really has thought that it would only be a metaphor for having sex.

"And how long does it take you...to stretch?"

"Half an hour? Give or take." Jongin says.

He is using some sort of rubber band contraption that makes his foot bend all sorts of way that Baekhyun has never thought it would be possible.

"Uhm...I have a better idea." he says.

His palms are sweating, his cheeks are getting warmer, his coat tighter and stickier around his body. What is wrong with him?

"Let's..."

Jongin is looking up at him and he knows he doesn't have the guts. The balls. Whatever.

"Never mind."

"Okay..." Jongin whispers. "Are you sure you don't want to...-"

"It's fine. I've just realized that I have something very very important to do for my boss so...I should probably get going now."

Baekhyun feels ashamed; and too warm and sweaty and lonely.

"Baekhyun...are you sure you're alright? You look extremely...red." Jongin says.

He stands up and walks towards him. Baekhyun backs down.

"Yes. Just in a hurry." he says with a smile that lasts 2 seconds. "I will text you."

 

Baekhyun doesn't know why he did what he did. He keeps seeing Jongin's face in his mind and that visible disappointment.

"Maybe I'm really a horrible person."

He has never thought that. And nobody said that to him either; except of Kyungsoo, indirectly, which should have been a clue in itself. But like most things, he ignored it.

The apartment is all empty when he walks in. It's almost shocking. Kyungsoo is always at this hour sitting on the couch, watching a movie.

"Kyungsoo?"

Maybe he's in the bathroom. He checks that too, even though he knows it's pointless. The apartment is too quiet. It doesn't smell like food or candles scented with bourbon vanilla.

He sits down on the couch and sighs. That's something new for him. If they weren't still on war terms, he would call him. Multiple times.

But likes this, he cannot find his courage so he decides to wait, staring at the white wall with different colored smudges on it.

And time doesn't want to pass. At all. His head falls down onto his chest after a while, dozing off only for a couple of minutes, before there's the sound of a key entering the hole in the door.

He stands up quickly.

"Where have you been?" he asks.

"Out." Kyungsoo shrugs. "Am I not allowed by your Majesty?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

This 'Majesty' didn't sound lighthearted. It sounded bitter, sarcastic. Baekhyun knows it as Kyungsoo doesn't even look straight at him.

"I'm..." he whispers.

But there's nothing that he thinks he should say.

"I'm going to sleep." Kyungsoo says.

He smells of alcohol and nicotine. Baekhyun knows that he used to smoke a long time ago, when they were still in high-school. But since they moved together, that hasn't been the case. Until now.

"Have you smoked?" he asks.

"Why do you care?"

"Because...I do." Baekhyun sighs.

"Well...then don't. I don't need it."

It's quiet as he watches Kyungsoo sit on his bed and pull the covers over his head; fully dressed and smelling of everything a night club could smell of, right on Baekhyun's bed.

He wonders why.

The couch isn't too inviting. Kyungsoo is snoring, taking more than half of the bed and Baekhyun doesn't know what to do. The first time in his life when Kyungsoo is purposely pushing him out of his life, letting him hang at the edge of it, wondering.

He glances back at the bed and waits. 10. 15 minutes.

Still sleeping.

Baekhyun really doesn't want the couch. Finally, he sits next to him. The light is still on, so he turns it off and pulls the covers over his head. Kyungsoo keeps snoring next to him and he's somehow glad.

 

The morning is grey. His throat dry and achy; eyes glued together. But there's something warm stuck to him, down to his abdomen.

The alarm goes off and the warmth disappears.

"What time is it?"

"6:45." Baekhyun says.

"Fuck...I need to get to work."

Kyungsoo's voice is deeper than usual, be it from the hangover or lack of sleep. Baekhyun likes it.

"Do we have time for breakfast?"

"No." Kyungsoo says.

Baekhyun gets ready in his usual manner, doing almost everything in the bathroom. Looking at his blurry reflection, he remembers Jongin and his expression when he ran like a coward. Why? He isn't sure. Maybe Jongin simply isn't his type as he has always thought. Kris isn't his type either; or maybe that's because of his smugness.

His hair looks like shit as one strand has decided that it wants to sit straight up in the middle of his head.

"Come on. Get out!" Kyungsoo yells.

He knocks at the door and Baekhyun opens it.

"Since when do we knock at doors?" he asks.

"Since I'm still pissed at you."

Oh.

Baekhyun sighs. He has really hoped.

Right outside their apartment, there's the same black car waiting. He smiles, opening the door. So it’s alright. It’s fine. Something, at least.

"You weren't kidding." he laughs.

"Why would I be? I am his Majesty's subject. Yours only." Chanyeol says while he hands Baekhyun a brown cup that smells like coffee and cinnamon.

"Pumpkin spice. I don't want to hear it."

Chanyeol smiles, waving his index around.

"I wasn't going to say anything."

Baekhyun sips from it. It's decent. Maybe now he feels more autumnal in a rather fashionable kind of way; not a borderline depressing one.

"You smell funky." Chanyeol says.

"I'm gross, I know I know. I haven't showered this morning and Kyungsoo literally smells like a night...club."

He whispered the last words as he knows he should have stopped at 'not showered'. But he didn't, because he didn't really think about it.

"Kyungsoo?"

Chanyeol looks at him and Baekhyun nods.

"My roommate and best friend. We are kind of in a never ending fight." he says.

It is the truth but why does he still feel guilty? He shouldn't.

"Oh...alright."

"Yeah..."

It's quiet. Baekhyun hates it. This all means that there's something wrong between them, that he said something wrong, something he shouldn't have. He can make a bet and win it as it's all because of Kyungsoo.

"We are just friends." he says.

Chanyeol nods, looking straight ahead. Baekhyun sips from his drink, but it suddenly tastes too sweet and bitter of pumpkin.

"Are you free this evening?" he asks.

"Maybe."

"I was thinking that we could go see a movie..."

"Not sure I'm in the mood for a movie."

"Fine. Great. Perfect." Baekhyun says.

The cup slips from his fingers and spills all over his pants, the seat, the car. Everywhere.

Brownish orange all over the white leather that is not so white anymore. Just a shade of the rainbow.

"Fuck! Fuck! I'm so sorry. Sorry, I'm such an idiot."

The car stops.

"It's fine." Chanyeol says.

"I've just ruined your car." Baekhyun mumbles.

He doesn't have whatever thousands of dollars to pay for the leather seat.

"Don't worry. It's all washable. I'd be more worried about your pants." he laughs.

"I..."

"Baek...it's okay. Really. Let's meet at 7 for the movie."

"Really?"

"Really." he laughs. "You should change your pants. Why is it that every time we meet you spill something on yourself?"

"This is the second time only."

"Do I make you nervous?" Chanyeol winks.

"Of course not. Some people are just naturally clumsy, that's all." Baekhyun says, looking out of the window.

"If you say so."

The car stops in front of the glass building and Baekhyun is glad. He gets out and covers with his jacket the stain that is threatening to turn into an iceberg.

"So I'll see you at 7?"

"Right." Baekhyun smiles, waving while the car gets smaller and smaller among many more.

He finally sighs. His pants are beginning to freeze on his legs so he runs inside the building, down to his office and sticks himself to a heater.

The phone buzzes in his pocket. Once. Twice. Thrice.

**_unknown number_ **

**_had fun this morning_ **

**_don't forget 7 PM_ **

**_don't make me wait, your Majesty:)_ **

Baekhyun grins.

 

Now that he thinks about it, he isn't sure where they were supposed to meet. So he waits in front of his workplace, with the same pants on, but dry, a big darker blue splotch in the middle of each leg. Fashionable. Forward.

6:57.

Baekhyun glances around. No Chanyeol. He sighs, turns on his heels and hits something.

"I also think you like these first encounters. Better feel the new ground, right?" the man winks.

"You are too cocky." Baekhyun says.

"Maybe." he shrugs. "Nice design."

"Good mood?"

"Maybe." he smiles, walking alongside Baekhyun.

Their paces match, he thinks, even though his feet are two times smaller.

"When you score a date on a beautiful Thursday night with a corporate nerd, what could you want more from life?"

"Shut up." Baekhyun laughs, nudging him in the arm.

"I'm honest, your Majesty. What could I want more?"

"Uhm...let me think." Baekhyun says, biting his bottom lip.

His pants are beginning to fall down his hips at an alarming rate; it's even rather itchy but Chanyeol is right next to him. Waiting.

"Holding his Majesty's hand wouldn't be...of your interest?"

"Maybe."

"I feel offended."

"You do? But I didn't know-"

"Chanyeol..."

"Fine. Can I hold your hand?" he asks, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

Chanyeol extends his hand, palm facing up as his brows are raised up and lips forming a smile.

"Maybe I've changed my mind." Baekhyun says.

He starts walking. Then, he's suddenly being pulled backwards until he hits something. Soft but not quite. There's warm breathe all over his neck and ear and Baekhyun shivers.

He hasn't been this close to someone else in a long time; not with someone he actually fancies, anyways.

A snowflake falls right on his lips, melting right away. He licks it slowly, waiting like this for another one. It doesn't come.

"I like you." Chanyeol whispers.

"And if I don't?"

"His Majesty is cruel then...to his-"

Baekhyun turns around and cups his face. It is quite an effort as he has to stand on his tip toes. But Chanyeol holds him by the middle and leans down until the breath is now over his face. Warm, hazy, smelling of coffee and cherries.

He closes his eyes. Sees only green dots growing bigger or smaller, melting into yellow and pink ones as there's not only warmth but also the touch of lips on his own. His arms are beginning to ache but he keeps standing like this, waiting for more.

"For later." Chanyeol smiles.

"Unfair." Baekhyun whispers.

 

Baekhyun doesn't remember the movie. He does remember other things though, like Chanyeol's fingers intertwined with his, a little sticky, a little smelling of nachos, a little sweaty at times. There's also the kiss at the end of it all, in front of his apartment, making him grow warmer and for some reason panicky. But it was good. Nice. He doesn't remember it either. All in a blur, passing one after another until he closes the door of the flat and looks around.

He sits down on the couch.

"Had fun?" Kyungsoo asks.

Baekhyun sighs.

"It's just a simple question."

"Weren't we supposed to be...mad at each other?"

Kyungsoo shrugs, switching the TV off.

“Grew tired of it. Or of the fact that you did nothing to make it better. Not one bit. Typical.” he says.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and looks down at his fingers.

“Was I supposed to kneel in front of you and ask forgiveness? You know, I won’t change.” he says.

“Whatever.”

“Sure.”

“Let’s sleep. I’m tired.” Kyungsoo says.

But he doesn’t nudge Baekhyun to leave the couch and make his own bed, like it has always been their arrangement. He simply stands up-that’s when he notices that he’s already in his pajamas-and gets underneath the covers. Not his own, but Baekhyun’s.

“Uhm…”

“Turn off the light.”

Sometimes, Kyungsoo is peculiar. This time, he is certain of it. Baekhyun does things slower than usual, almost waiting for something. It never comes.

But it’s nice and warm in bed, with Kyungsoo 5 centimeters away from him, breathing right in the back of his neck. Warm, calming.

“Have you ended it with that Kris guy?” he asks.

“Yeah…sure.” Baekhyun says.

“Good.”

An arm wraps around his middle, dragging him closer to the other body. Even warmer, each raising of Kyungsoo’s chest making it press harder into his back.

“’Night…” Kyungsoo whispers.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i actually a jerk who adds a love triangle or not?  
> i am not even sure myself

**Author's Note:**

> comments are well loved:)


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